Group jailed after violent assault leaves man with life-changing injuries - London

A group of four men and women have been sentenced to over eight years in prison following a violent attack at Oxford Circus station which left a man with life-changing brain injuries.

Ali Ali, 20, of Lambton Road, Islington, appeared before Blackfriars Crown Court on 19 December where he was found guilty of one count of GBH and one count of violent disorder.

He was sentenced on January 25 to four years in prison for GBH, and three years for violent disorder to run concurrently.

Gessica Goti, 20, of Peel Road, Wembley was found guilty of violent disorder and sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Mohamed Abdulle, 22, of Lawrence Hill, Bristol and Fiona Abdillahi, 18, of Marchbank Road, West Brompton both pleaded guilty to violent disorder and were sentenced 3 years in prison and 10 months suspended respectively.

On Sunday 5th November 2017 at approximately 11.15am, the group of friends left a Bakerloo Service and bumped into two 40-year-old men on the platform.

This resulted in a verbal altercation between the parties, which led to Goti hitting one of the men, who pushed her back. Ali then hit him with a large glass bottle and kicked him once on the floor.

The victim collapsed and fell to the floor, where the group began kicking and stamping on his head.

He was placed in a coma for five days and was left with life-changing brain injuries.

The court heard the group then set up on his friend, also 40-years-old, hitting him repeatedly, and he began to throw punches back in self-defence.

Ali and Abdulle hit him repeatedly with the same glass bottle, causing him to collapse on the floor onto his friend.

Abdulle then hit him with the bottle once more before the group fled the platform. He was left with facial injuries and a laceration to the back of the head.

They were arrested having been identified through police enquiries and public information following a witness appeal.

In a Victim Impact Statement which was read out in court, the first victim said: “My old life is over after this incident.”

DC Paul Burbridge said: “This was an incredibly violent and unnecessary attack, and the victim is lucky to be alive. Regardless, the rest of his life will now be effected by the serious injuries he sustained at the hands of these aggressive young people.

“I am pleased that the jury saw fit to convict them, and of the assistance provided by the general public in identifying the perpetrators so they could be brought before the courts.

“I hope this serves as a clear reminder to people that we absolutely will not tolerate any form of violence on the rail network.”